1968 T-Code AMC AMX

1968 T-Code AMC AMX

American Motors’ AMX was much more than a Javelin minus the back seat. MotoeXotica Classic Cars is proud to present this seldom-seen 1968 AMC AMX. This particular car was made in AMC’s Kenosha, Wisconsin factory and is one of 6,725 AMXs made in 1968, one of 1,317 made with this engine and one of 902 made with this engine and transmission combination. The 343 Typhoon V8 under the hood was one of the most potent (280 HP) powerplants you could get in any AMC, and with a 4-barrel carburetor it has a rather impressive torque curve. AMC didn’t stamp VIN’s on their blocks back then, but this original T-Code car definitely still houses a proper period-stamped drivetrain, that after inspection, leaves little doubt with us that this is a numbers matching car, even if a ’68 AMX can never truly be called as such.

Finished in Laredo Tan with black racing stripes, the car’s paint and trim are in great condition overall. The car’s windows are clear and intact. Its lights look good and the car’s bodywork is straight. The engine bay is extremely tidy, has the original windshield washer bag, the battery appears new and the chrome bumpers look great.

This AMX rolls on Firestone Wide Oval radials, size E70-14 at all four corners. Each tire is mounted on a factory Magnum 500 body-colored steel wheels. The tires are in very good order while the Magnums are in excellent shape.

Under the hood is AMC’s 280HP 343 CID “Typhoon” V-8 engine with four-barrel carburetor (code T) and breathing through standard dual exhausts, mated to AMC’s “Shift Command” three-speed automatic transmission, and in this case, with a floor-mounted in the center console and backed by a 3.54:1 rear end. Driver convenience features include power steering and power brakes.

Inside, the car’s Saddle interior with “Ventilair” high-back front bucket seats are in great shape, as is the brown and black carpet. The tan headliner, brown and black inner door panels are in very good order as is the unique, injection-molded, one-piece dashboard, an industry first. The interior A-pillars also featured an innovative, fiberglass padding, an idea borrowed from the Javelin. A three-spoke, aftermarket steering wheel, the center console and shifter all look good. Rounding out the interior is a Kenwood AM/FM stereo with cassette deck.

American Motors promoted the mid-model year launch of the AMX to automotive journalists at Daytona to emphasize its sports car performance, as well as with a marketing agreement with Playboy Enterprises. To introduce the AMX to its dealers, AMC held meetings at nine Playboy Clubs.

The AMX was introduced to the public on February 24, 1968, five months after the Javelin and other 1968 AMC cars. It was promoted as “the only American sports car that costs less than $3500.” American Motors advertisements also showed “a helmeted race driver revving up at the starting line in one of AMC’s sporty AMX models, which it describes as ready to do 125 miles an hour.”

The AMX was not only sporty and attractive, but it introduced many industry firsts. The American Society of Automotive Engineers named the AMX as the “best engineered car of the year” in 1969 and 1970.

For its first-year recognition, the reasons cited included the car’s dashboard, which was injection-molded in one piece “for safety purposes, an industry first.” The AMX’s new 390 CID engine was developed to have a large displacement within its minimal external dimensions and moderate weight, while the use of common components and machining with AMC’s 290 and 343 engines assured manufacturing economy. The 1968 models also included an innovative fiberglass safety padding, a “plastic” on the inside of the windshield posts that was first used on the AMC Javelins.

The two-seat AMX was “meant for a small, well-defined market niche, and it pulled in young people into AMC dealer showrooms in never before seen numbers.” Numerous road tests described the new AMX as a “handsome two-seater with American-style acceleration and European-style handling.” Journalists gave it a real run workout on all kinds of terrain and wrote, “that the AMX is one of the best-looking cars — if not the best-looking car — made in the U.S.A.”

All AMXs came with four-barrel carbureted small block AMC V-8 engines in several versions: 290 CID (N-code), 343 CID (T-code), as well as the 390 CID “AMX” (X-code). All derived from the same external sized block. However, the three engines differed vastly internally, the 343 used larger valves with a thicker block webbing.

A “Shift-Command” three-speed automatic transmission with the capability of manual shifting (BorgWarner model M-11B or M-12) was optional together with a floor console-mounted shifter.

A popular “Go-Package” option came with either the four-barrel 343 or 390 engine, and included power assisted front disc brakes, “Twin-Grip” differential, E70x14 red-stripe performance tires on “Magnum 500” styled-steel wheels, heavy-duty suspension with thicker sway-bars, heavy-duty cooling and other performance enhancements. A wide range of specialized performance parts were also available through AMC dealers for installation on customer’s cars.

Competition to this AMX in 1968 included its Javelin sibling, Chevrolet’s Camaro and Corvette, Dodge’s Challenger, Ford’s Mustang, Mercury’s Cougar, Plymouth’s Barracuda and Pontiac’s Firebird.

If you’re looking for a classic car with some spunk and sass, it would be a major mistake to ignore this AMX. Take it to a car show or enter it in a cruise night event and you may not see another one. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to check this one out before it’s too late.

VIN: A8C397T188337

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 82,421 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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